RE: Flare this week.31 Oct 2025 20:37
Evening Adz_K, I did see your excellent first X post & also noted on EOS that the thermal was not showing as signs of flare,but only massively on the SWIR. My amateur opinion, was that this was a first water wet lower temp gas flaring, using the basic temporary equipment on site, but soon would be more visible with higher gas content flaring, ala recent Shenandoah FPO flaring on Copernicus.
I asked Co-Pilot this question, here is its very technical response, that I believe I mostly understand, being a qualified former hi-tech engineer.
In **daytime sub-zero Arctic environments**, **SWIR (Shortwave Infrared)** on Landsat 8 is generally **more reliable than thermal imaging** for detecting **water-heavy gas flaring**, but the best results come from **combining both**.
### 🧊 Why SWIR Is More Effective in Daylight
- **Water-heavy flares** often burn cooler due to steam and incomplete combustion, making them harder to detect with thermal sensors alone.
- **SWIR bands (Bands 6 & 7)** are sensitive to combustion byproducts and flame emissions, even at lower temperatures.
- **Daylight advantage:** SWIR works best when sunlight illuminates the scene, enhancing contrast between flare emissions and icy terrain.
### 🔥 Thermal Imaging Limitations in This Scenario
- **TIRS (Bands 10 & 11)** detects heat, but water-heavy flares may not emit strong thermal signals.
- **Sub-zero background** helps with contrast, but low-intensity flares can still be missed.
- **Daytime performance** is weaker than nighttime due to solar heating of the surface, which can mask subtle thermal anomalies.
### 🛰️ Best Practice: Combine SWIR + Thermal
- Studies show that **using both SWIR and TIRS together** improves detection accuracy, especially for intermittent or low-temperature flaring.
- Algorithms like **DAFI (Daytime Approach for Flaring Investigation)** and **NHI (Normalized Hotspot Index)** leverage this multispectral synergy.
### ✅ Conclusion
For **daytime detection of water-heavy flaring in Arctic conditions**:
- **SWIR is more reliable than thermal imaging alone.**
- **Combining both sensors yields the most accurate results.**
Or call a friend in DeadHorse :-)
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